Partners

Act4Drin is implemented by the Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development (MIO-ECSDE, http://www.mio-ecsde.org), a non-profit Federation of Mediterranean NGOs for Environment and Development. MIO-ECSDE acts as a technical and political platform for the presentation of views and intervention of NGOs in the Mediterranean scene.

MIO-ECSDE has systematically, for years now, worked toward enhancing the capacity of its member (and collaborating) NGOs in the region to contribute in an effective and constructive way to the ‘Drin Dialogue’ process. Underpinning the project, is also MIO-ECSDE’s long standing experience in policy/advocacy/awareness raising/capacity building, when it comes to nature and biodiversity protection, integrated water resources management, stakeholder’s involvement and participatory processes in transboundary settings.

A key partner of the project is Kawka Production (http://www.kawkaproduction.com), a documentary film production company from Slovenia experienced in communicating nature protection concepts, which will substantially strengthen the awareness raising related component of the project by developing and disseminating in close collaboration with MIO-ECSDE a documentary film and short clips, highlighting the unique wealth of biodiversity in the Drin River Basin. The key threats it faces will also be included, alongside a strong message on how local communities can play a crucial role in protecting and conserving their common natural heritage.

In this project, MIO-ECSDE is closely working with MES ( http://www.mes.org.mk), as they are implementing a ‘sister’ project entitled “Water for lakes, bogs, streams and people on Jablanica Mountain”, which aims to demonstrate how NGOs can implement sustainable water resources and biodiversity conservation projects on the ground.

Last but not least, three grassroot organizations, namely EDEN from Albania, GREEN HOME from Montenegro and BIOSFERA from FYR Macedonia are involved in all phases of project implementation, as associate partners, and act as the national ambassadors in promoting the project’s objectives and results in their respective countries.

The Act4Drin project is being funded by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF, www.cepf.net), a joint initiative of l’Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, the European Union, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, the MacArthur Foundation and the World Bank. A fundamental goal of CEPF is to ensure civil society is engaged in biodiversity conservation.